roamfandomcom-20200213-history
Neluntian War
, Neluntian wells in , Straequian wells in and Scrutan wells in .}}The Neluntian War (-160 to -147) was a conflict between the Roaman Republic and its neighbouring states, predominantly Nelunty, Straecy and Scrutany, following the Sack of Roam by the Feors from the north. While at first Roam-Beast seemed outnumbered and stricken, the conflict turned on a series of major victories against the Neluntians and Straequians, allowing Roam to annex two adjoining wells, the so-called "Neluntian" Well near Donvery and the Prerentian Well, which had previously been held by Nelunty-Beast. Background and Historicity The Neluntian War was a direct result of the sacking of Roam by Feors from the north, whose world-beasts drove down into Scalify from the mountains for reasons unknown and dislodged Roam-Beast from its home well. The Ferotic tribes had their way with the towns surrounding the Roaman Well and Adesicam, and broke over the old walls of Roam itself, looting and burning until they were finally repelled by an organised militia. Roam-Beast managed to damage and threaten the smaller Ferotic beasts until they were forced to relent, but the Republic was still in a parlous state as the Feors returned to their homelands. The sack of Roam destroyed or damaged much of the historical records of the city, leaving only myth and legend from before. Much of the strategic detail and narrative of the war is lost to time and disputed, including when and where the various enemies of Roam were fought and when they entered and exited the conflict. The war is named after the Neluntians as they seem to be the most consistent enemy, and the war seemingly ends with Roam having claimed two World-Wells from Nelunty-Beast. The records of who were Consuls seems somewhat implausible, and the tablet recording those in office before the Second Fuscrite War was damaged in an earthquake and restored unreliably, but the dates of Triumphs seems to be trustworthy, allowing them to serve as a scaffold upon which to hang the folklore of the war from other sources. Incursions into Roaman Territory (-159 to -151) As the Feors returned north from sacking Roam, the neighbouring states of Nelunty to the south, and Straecy and Scrutany to the north, took the opportunity to send raiding parties into undefended or weakened Roaman territory. Roaman legions conducted a desperate and gruelling defence where they could, fuelled by indignation at the low point to which Roam had been brought and the unshakeable confidence that Roam would prevail. Slowly the city of Roam was repaired and rebuilt, the raiding parties were driven off Roaman lands, and Roam-Beast made shows of strength to discourage Nelunty-Beast, Straecy-Beast, and Lesser Scrutan-Beast from making attempts on its wells. These years of fraught defence forged the Roaman legions into a fearsome and disciplined force which allowed them to push back against the invaders beyond the initial Roaman borders, particularly south into Nelunty, in which Roam-Beast took a particular interest. First Battle of Neluntian Well (-156) :Main Article: First Battle of Neluntian Well Roam-Beast squared up to Nelunty-Beast at the Neluntian capital well at Donvery, called the Neluntian Well by the Roamans. The Consuls Glumal Juctor Qualens and Interval Panth, believing the good omens, led their legions forward out from under Roam-Beast and met the Neluntians head on, their confidence shaking the morale of the defending force, which quickly descended into a rout as Roam-Beast drove Nelunty-Beast from the field. Though Glumal Juctor Qualens and the First Battle of Neluntian Well are widely held to take place in this year, the Consul definitely received his Triumph the following year when he served as Dictator for unknown reasons, despite no great victory being recorded. It is possible that he did not return to Roam until the following year, or that there was a different custom regarding Triumphs at this time, though neither explanation is particularly satisfying. Regardless, he was named Stubborn Glumal Juctor-Glumal Qualens, founding Juctor-Glumal branch of the Juctor family. The unexpected expansion of Roam just four years after it appeared to be doomed caused a coalition to be formed amongst its neighbouring states. The next several years are not well documented, but likely consist of a series of border skirmishes as Roam was forced to fight on all fronts. The appointment of Stubborn Glumal as Dictator certainly implies that the Republic was still perceived to be in great peril despite the annexation of the Neluntian Well. Straequian Incursion (-152) Stubborn Glumal and Uvinal Galvens are reported to have repelled an sizeable invasion force of Straequians (and possibly Scrutans) in this year. As no battle is recorded despite the Roaman propensity to exaggerate the scale of conflicts, it seems that the Straequians were forced into retreat without meeting the Roamans in the field, but the truth is lost to history. It is possible that the attention of both Consuls in the north allowed for the recapture of the Neluntian Well by opportunistic Neluntians in the south, which would explain the need for the Second Battle of Neluntian Well. Second Battle of Neluntian Well (-151) :Main Article: Second Battle of Neluntian Well At some point the garrison of the Neluntian Well had been overwhelmed by Neluntians, with some accounts accusing the Neluntians still in Donvery of infiltration and betrayal to recapture the well as they were clearly unable to best Roamans by military means. At no point did Nelunty-Beast dislodge Roam-Beast from the well, however, so it was only a matter of time before Roaman forces led by the Consuls Gibral Juctor, the Patriarch of Juctor, and Tavengal Oscumy easily surrounded the defending garrison. Unable to afford the time for a siege whilst enemies still waited on the northern front, Gibral led an assault on the well fort while Tavengal broke off to surround and slaughter a militia which marched out of Donvery to attempt to relieve those trapped at the well. The victory was not particularly costly, but Roam, furious at the impudence of the Neluntians, burnt Donvery to the ground and enslaved its populace, refounding the city with a selection of loyal colonists from Roam and the legions. Instability and Resurgence to Victory (-150 to -147) Though the Republic seemed to be growing towards victory, there were internal divisions caused by the stresses of the war fought on several fronts, which had demanded unprecedented levels of conscription and consecutive years of service from the legions, many of whom from the lower classes worried that their harvests were going to waste and that they would not be fairly rewarded with either coin or recognition for their sacrifices. Grumblings of mutiny spread through the legions unless they were given assurances of compensation, and soldiers began to openly ignore orders in large numbers. News of this unrest was seized upon by the Straequians and Scrutans, who sent a combined force deep into Roaman territory towards the Roaman and Adesican Wells. Afraid that Roam might seize defeat from the jaws of victory, the Senate appointed Hessal Candoam, the Scion of Candoam, as Dictator. He found a compromise with the disobedient soldiers, either by making a shrewd deal or appealing to their better judgement with a hectoring speech, depending on the source, and led the legions forth from Roam to meet the invading force near Anylyam. Battle of Anylyam (-150) :Main Article: Battle of Anylyam Hessal Candoam drew up his lines on a plain near Anylyam, deepening the ranks of his legions at the centre of his formation opposite the point that the Scrutan and Straequian forces met. This allowed the Roamans to push forward between the two forces, splitting the two armies and wheeling them around, allowing the remainder of the Roaman legions to outflank each smaller force in turn while the Roaman cavalry, having heroically driven their enemy counterparts from the field, harassed the backs of the opposing formations. The manoeuvre was risky, as it threatened to expose the central driving column to attack from both sides, but Hessal's assumption that the two enemy forces would fail to coordinate was proven true, and the invading force was crushed. Hessal, a man not given to mercy, ordered that all the captives be executed rather than enslaved, to discourage further incursions from the north. He was granted a Triumph (again, in the following year, when he was re-appointed as Dictator), and aptly named Ruthless Hessal Candoam. The following year Ruthless Hessal, possibly appointed Dictator again as part of his deal with the legions, struck forth from Roaman territory towards the north and east, burning all foreign towns and villages between the borders of Roam and the Straequian and Scrutan wells. This appears to have ended the conflict at the northern front, though no treaty seems to have been signed. The following years seem to have focussed on the southern front with Nelunty, with Roam-Beast acting increasingly aggressively towards Nelunty-Beast, eventually dislodging it from the Prerentian Well. Battle of Prerentian Well (-147) :Main Article: Battle of Prerentian Well Following the lead of Roam-Beast, which drove Nelunty-Beast from the Prerentian Well without a direct confrontation, the Consuls Levyal Qualens Juctor and Hyberital Anyly marched on Prerenty, meeting the brave but foolhardy and probably outnumbered Neluntian defenders outside the walls. The resulting battle was largely a formality, with far more Neluntians captured and enslaved than killed. The Levyal was granted a Triumph, renamed Brutal Levyal Qualens-Levyal Juctor and founding the Qualens-Levyal branch of the Qualens family (which in fact died with him), and Hyberital was rewarded with the civic name "Callous" but denied a Triumph as a Companion. Aftermath and Legacy The capture of the Prerentian Well marked the end of the war, with some manner of peace treaty presumably drawn up between some of the participating states. Roam-Beast seemed satisfied with its territory until fifteen years later, when it began to challenge Straecy-Beast for its wells, marking the beginning of the Straequian War. The acquisition of the Neluntian Well and the Prerentian Well and their attendant cities also brought Roam-Beast into direct contact with Oscumy-Beast and Fuscry-Beast to the east, a front which would become the bloody theatre of the First and Second Fuscrite War, the second of which rivals the Neluntian War for the threat it posed to the survival of the Republic. The Neluntian War lives on in the Roaman psyche as affirmation that Roam is destined for greatness, and shows unmatched resilience and determination when brought to its lowest points such as after the sack of Roam. Given the loss of much of the historical records from before the war due to the damage done during that catastrophic event, it is considered by some to be the start of at least somewhat plausible and reliable Roaman history, rather than the legendary and somewhat more far-fetched and heroic tales which make up the preceding wars. Timeline The listed Consuls are likely candidates reconstructed from several sources, but should not be regarded as definitive except in cases that they match up with the records of Triumphs. Category:War Category:Stub Category:Roaman War